Dental anchoring means

Abstract

Dental anchoring means of the kind including a threaded pin which is located in a hole in a tooth. Before insertion into the hole, the pin is integral with a shank through a neck which allows the pin to break off from the shank after insertion. The pin and shank are located in a longitudinal open-ended bore in a connecting member which is arranged to be secured in a dental handpiece. The pin and shank are fixed in the bore by forming an enlarged head on the shank which is a force fit in the bore. This locks the pin and shank securely in the bore during use and the connecting member can be of different material from the shank and pin.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the U.S. is: 
     
       1. Dental anchoring means comprising a threaded pin for insertion into a preformed hole in a tooth, a shank integral with the pin, a neck intermediate the pin and the shank whereby the pin is detached from the shank after insertion in said hole, and a connecting member including latching means at one end thereof for locating the member in a handpiece by which the pin is rotated in said hole, the connecting member having an open-ended bore extending longitudinally thereof and a portion of the shank being located in the bore, said portion being, along at least part of its length, of enlarged section to define fixing means which provide a force fit between the enlarged section and the bore when the shank and pin are inserted along the bore from the end of the bore adjacent the latching means with the pin projecting from the opposite end of the bore, and in use the fixing means preventing the shank from passing along the bore towards the end of the bore from which the pin projects and preventing relative rotation between the shank and connecting member. 
     
     
       2. Dental anchoring means according to claim 1 wherein the fixing means is located at the free end of the shank remote from the pin. 
     
     
       3. Dental anchoring means according to claim 1 wherein the fixing means is engaged with an end portion of the bore remote from the end of the bore from which the pin projects. 
     
     
       4. Dental anchoring means according to claim 1 wherein the shank and pin are formed of one metal and the connecting member is formed of another metal. 
     
     
       5. Dental anchoring means according to claim 1 wherein the connecting member is generally cylindrical and the bore is of circular cross-section and extends coaxially of the member. 
     
     
       6. Dental anchoring means according to claim 1 wherein the external diameter of the shank is slightly less than the diameter of the bore, except at the location of said fixing means, to allow some play between said bore and the shank.